STAND. COM. REP. NO.  842

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   H.B. No. 1079

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1079, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FEES FOR HABITAT CONSERVATION PLANS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to protect Hawaii's threatened and endangered species by:

(1)  Authorizing the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to collect fees to cover the costs of their Habitat Conservation Technical Assistance Program which assists landowners in the development, review, and monitoring of habitat conservation plans;

(2)  Requiring DLNR to adopt rules for the establishment of the fees; and

(3)  Providing for the fees to be deposited into the Endangered Species Trust Fund.

     DLNR, Hawaii Audubon Society, First Wind, and Earthjustice testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, to encourage further discussion; and

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1079, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1079, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair